My five-year-old son moved away from his mother, so I went to talk to my wife to understand why.

At 32, Robert is a dedicated husband and father who has managed to balance work and family life with his wife, Candice, and their five-year-old son, Samuel.

For the past five years, Robert has been the sole provider while Candice has focused on running the household and raising Samuel. However, recently, Robert noticed a troubling shift in Samuel’s behavior towards Candice.

Samuel had begun to avoid his mother, even turning away when she tried to hug or kiss him. This change confused Robert, and he couldn’t understand why his son seemed so distant from Candice. After a few days of observing, Robert decided to ask Samuel about it.

“Sam, why have you been avoiding your mother lately?” Robert inquired, concerned.

“She has a secret and doesn’t want to share it with me,” Samuel replied, his face troubled and sad. “Mom’s different.”

“What do you mean? What secret is that?” Robert asked.

“I see her crying in her room when you’re at work,” Samuel explained. “She yelled at me to leave when I asked why she was crying. She was holding a photograph, but when I came in, she hid it in a green box under the mattress.” Robert was taken aback. He couldn’t fathom what might be troubling Candice so much. He decided to ask Samuel another question.

“Has your mom been crying a lot?”

“This week, I’ve seen her crying almost every day,” Samuel said. “She tries to hide it, but I can tell by her red eyes and the way her voice cracks. Now, she always closes her bedroom door when I come near. Dad, I don’t like this. We have to do something.”

“Don’t worry, Sam,” Robert reassured him. “There’s probably an explanation for all of this. I’ll talk to your mom.” After Samuel went to his room to play, Robert decided it was time to confront Candice. “Is there something you’re hiding from me, Candice?” he asked softly, his voice trembling with concern.

“What do you mean? What are you talking about?” Candice responded defensively. Robert showed Candice the photograph he had found. “Who’s this?” he asked, holding it up.

Candice’s face changed, and she sighed deeply. “Oh, no. I never wanted him to find out,” she whispered.

“Are you saying you cheated on me?” Robert asked, his voice full of disbelief.

“No! I didn’t cheat on you,” Candice quickly clarified. “But there’s something I need to tell you. Please don’t tell anyone, okay? I never wanted this secret to come out.”

Candice went on to explain that the photograph had been given to her by her biological father shortly before his death. He revealed a shocking truth: Candice’s mother had had an affair and given birth to a child with another man while still married to Candice’s father.

To keep the affair a secret, the two lovers had arranged for their children to be adopted by different families.

Candice had only recently learned the truth about her biological father and her twin brother, but she was torn. She had no idea whether to reach out to her twin brother, knowing that doing so might cause her parents deep pain.

“So, this photograph is of your twin brother?” Robert asked in disbelief.

Candice nodded, confirming that the man in the photograph bore an uncanny resemblance to her. Robert, still processing the revelation, hugged Candice and apologized for doubting her. “Why have you been crying so much in your room, then?” he asked gently.

“I’m crying because I never knew my biological father. I don’t know what to do about my brother. I’d like to meet him, but I don’t want to hurt my parents,” Candice confessed, her voice quivering with emotion. Candice remains conflicted about what to do next. She hopes that with Robert’s support, she can figure out the best course of action without betraying the family she’s known all her life.